Simplify: My Word For 2014

by -

Desk stack

Happy New Year!  I don’t know about you, but I am so ready to greet 2014 and to kick 2013 to the curb.  2013 wasn’t the worst year, but it certainly was challenging and I’m ready to move on.

How ready am I to move on?  So ready that I’m trying to purge anything that’s unwanted, unused and unnecessary.  In fact, I was just telling Hubby that my word for 2014 is “simplify”.  It seems like I have let things take control of my space and therefore me, and it’s time to regain control.

Nowhere is the need to simplify more apparent than in the home office, specifically my desk area.  While I desperately want to make things easier for myself, the decorating scheme for my desk can best be described as “professionally cluttered”.

Seriously, if you could see my desk and office right now, it’s awful.  Stacks of notes with ideas for new writing posts, all sorts of “to-dos”, half-started projects and papers stacked a foot high, things strewn across the floor, etc.  I’m thinking I might just purge everything and start over.

Honestly, if I haven’t looked at it in months – okay, at least a year – why am I hanging on to it?  Sentimentality?  Come on, it’s just paper!

Since I don’t make New Year’s resolutions (I tend to break them before I get started), perhaps applying the word simplify to everything I do will help.

Just simplify, I tell myself.

Good news is that every year around this time I get energized to do all sorts of organization projects. This “end-of-year/beginning-of-year organizing” spurt has already started and I’m ready to kick some serious butt in the home office in order to simplify my life.

Not sure if it’s due to the cold weather that forces me inside, or if it’s my way of trying to start the New Year off on a positive note.  Whatever it is, I have to take advantage of the energy while it’s here because all of a sudden it will turn off, just like a spigot, and the projects will languish until the following January.

All of this energy scares Hubby – he sees dollar signs; I see an organized sanctuary.  But I need his presence while I organize and simplify my desk; someone for me to lean on in case I get weak and try to save the stack of stuff instead of throwing it away.

Hubby agrees and also decides to adopt the mantra “simplify” for 2014.  Grabbing two containers for recycling and trash, we dig in.  We also set a timer that keeps ticking, so we know we are on the clock – no time for dilly-dallying.

Our work is like an archeological dig. “Just found our tax stuff from two years ago”, says Hubby.  Well that’s a keeper.  “Why do I have a Starbucks receipt from last year?” I ask.  Rapid fire, we sort through the stacks of papers, making great progress.

Then we come to the big stack on my desk.  The notes.  The ones I’d been saving; my inspiration for future writing.  All the witty ideas I was going to use at some point but so far had never touched.  My hands were on the stack, but I was frozen in place.

“Come on,” coaxed Hubby.  “You can do it, just like you said you wanted to – simplify things and throw it all away”.

I felt a tear roll down my cheek.  “What if I need something here? What if I have writer’s block and I need an idea?” I whispered.

“You’ll have plenty of ideas; you always do”, says Hubby.  “Remember the goal is to simplify. Be like Nike and Just Do It”.

While Hubby held the trash bag, I let out a little scream while I dumped the stack of paper.  My notes. And anything else that happened to be in the stack.

With that out of the way, we continued straightening and within a couple of hours the office and both of our desks looked better than they had in years.  We can actually see the tops of the desks.  It’s a Christmas miracle! 

Simplify – I already feel better, and just sitting at a clean desk makes me feel more productive.

I want to simplify my job search as well.  Sometimes it’s easy to complicate the process by failing to have a strategy and losing focus, making it more difficult that it should be. I’ve already started a written to-do list – in one notebook, not on hundreds of sticky notes – and I start my day by looking at the list.  I’ll admit that this attempt at hyper-organization will be challenging, but I’m trying to make it work.  Organization, while arguably not my strong suit, is the key to simplification.

Hello, 2014!  I think this is going to be my year.

Adventures In The Discomfort Zone

by -

Tami ebook cover Flat 12-14-13

It’s hard for most of us to leave our comfort zones – even if we’re the ones who initiate the change. Changing jobs or careers–either due to layoff or on our own–forces us to be uncomfortable. Yes, it’s painful and sometimes unpleasant. The good news is, it’s only temporary, and if we press through the “Discomfort Zone”, we will usually come out just fine on the other side.

I first touched on this theme in my debut book, Tales of the Terminated: A Humorous Look at Life After a Layoff. Since then, I wanted to talk in more depth about the discomfort and challenges of career relaunch and life changes. That’s why I put together a new ebook, available exclusively on Amazon.com entitled Adventures in the Discomfort Zone: Tales from One Woman’s Career Relaunch Experience.

In this ebook, I chronicle my experiences, observations and humor about career relaunch, my brush with life-threatening illness, mean ol’ mothers-in-law and even monogamous interviewing.

As my gift to you this holiday season, for a limited time this book is FREE on Amazon.com! Even if you don’t have a Kindle; you can get the free Kindle Reading app from Amazon and read it on virtually any device!

Merry Christmas, friends.  And join me for new adventures, a few tears, and more than a few laughs in the Discomfort Zone!

It’s All About Bright, Shiny Objects

by -

Disco Ball

Years ago I worked with a “master presenter”.  This guy was superb at creating PowerPoints that were almost works of art.  His verbal presentation skills were stellar.  At his meetings, attendees would almost enter a trance-like state, hanging on his every word.

At the end of each presentation, applause ensued and attendees headed back to their desks praising this genius and his words of wisdom.  All wanted to work under his tutelage because surely he had all the answers.

We were all attracted to the “bright, shiny object” that was his presentation.

After attending a few of his meetings, I realized his true genius.  He actually said NOTHING in his presentations.  There was no strategy, no goals, no tactics to execute.  Oh, the presentations were beautiful, but they were empty of true business substance, filled only with lots of theory and questions to ponder.

If a company could be successful by simply thinking of ideas without considering execution and outcome, or discussing other lofty thoughts that may or may not be on strategy, this guy was your man.

That was his genius; he was so good at positioning himself and his ideas that we all believed without questioning.

Call me crazy, but I would rather have a straightforward presentation that provides serious content that can help with my business needs.

I recently met another such “genius”.   His presentation was full of cool graphics and he spoke with such confidence that some were ready to buy without asking critical questions.   This presenter used the age-old tactic of rapidly speaking and moving through the presentation, so fast it was difficult to take notes.

Since this was not my first rodeo, I recognized the bright, shiny object approach. 

Most of the presentation was “Marketing 101”; nothing new.   The words on the paper sounded good, yet there were no specific goals, tactics for execution or metrics for success.

Lack of clear metrics alone should have been a red flag for everyone in the meeting. Most disturbing to me was that this was something he had done years ago and he was relying on past success, despite the fact that the business landscape has changed with the wide-spread use of social media.

But he had a bright, shiny object.  

Apparently, bright, shiny objects appeal to lots of people, including executives.  This was a reminder to me that even if you have a great product or a fabulous idea, if it’s not positioned well it won’t sell.

The same can be said for job interviews.  Candidates that position themselves well have a better chance of landing the job.  While experience and education are required, the entire “presentation” must be packaged well to gain the attention of the hiring manager in order to win the job.

That includes a well-presented resume, dressing appropriately, showing confidence, asking the right questions and providing stellar answers.

Shouldn’t hiring managers dig deep and ask probing questions to make sure a candidate is truly the best for the job?  In a perfect world, yes.  But managers are short-staffed and pressed for time.   Doesn’t matter if you are the better candidate in terms of experience, your total presentation will be the final test.

I’ve got to remember to position myself in the best possible way during interviews, providing great information that shows the hiring manager know I’m the best candidate.  Let’s just hope the job opportunity isn’t a dud, packaged as a ‘bright shiny object’.

Neglect

by -

Fence

Hubby and I were ecstatic when we bought our home.  A contemporary gem with walls of windows in every room that looked out onto beautiful spaces, we couldn’t believe our good fortune.   While it had, as they say in real estate, “good bones”, it needed serious cosmetic help.

Multiple previous owners had each left their interior design stamp, layering on hideous wallpapers with different trims that defied logic.  And don’t get me started on the floors.  We had five different kinds of flooring, including three different carpets.

We knew that over time we could fix the inside.  We were thrilled that the outside was in great condition – beautifully landscaped, fence in good shape, solid retaining wall.   Eventually we were able to slowly renovate the inside to our liking.  It’s beautiful and we couldn’t be happier.

Until recently.

The once beautiful outside spaces had become a wasteland, the type you see in sci-fi movies, all gray with an assortment of broken things strewn about.  What was left of plant life was overgrown in many areas and barren in others. Hardly the view we wanted to enjoy from our walls of windows.

In all fairness to me and Hubby, neither of us have a green thumb nor do we have an interest in yard work.   Oh, we enjoy being in the yard. We just want someone else to take care of it.

The only plant life remaining was indestructible bamboo.  Some years ago, in an attempt to make a Zen-like retreat around the pool, we let a landscaper convince us that bamboo was the way to go.  He said it would require almost zero maintenance and would withstand the drastic temperature changes, especially the heat.  We were sold.

You all know where this is going.  Didn’t take long for the bamboo to take over.  Sure, it withstands any temperature.  In fact, we couldn’t kill it – and we tried.  Hubby regularly inspected our neighbors’ yard each week to make sure the bamboo wasn’t invading.

The real issue here was not the bamboo, although it’s a nice excuse.  Hubby and I had neglected the outside spaces, putting our finances towards travel and other home improvements.

How bad was it, you ask? The neighbors would creep down the alley in their cars, staring and shaking their heads. The once solid retaining wall had crumbled to dust and we feared sliding downhill into the neighbors’ house. The fence had weathered to an ugly gray and was barely standing.

Actually, it wasn’t standing at all. What was left of the fence was secured to the house with a variety of straps, two-by-fours and rocks.  Every night we’d watch the weather report for wind gust predictions, knowing that blowing out candles on a birthday cake would be more difficult than blowing our fence down.

Desperation set in as we waited for our turn on the fence company’s list, our wood-strapped-to-the-house contraption becoming even more of an eye-sore.  Hubby spent hours trying to secure the remaining boards and both of us tried to reassure the neighbors that we planned to replace the fence.

We had to view this ugliness every day from our walls of windows, we were sick of it and now we had to act quickly.

Why, oh why, did we let it get to this?

There are many reasons for neglecting something so important.  Money, time, hoping the problem will resolve itself.  That works for awhile, but at some point you have to take action.

How many of us neglect a job search when we already have a job?  We ignore that things may not be as good as we’d like at the office since we do have a salary and work.  Besides, it’s so much trouble to update the resume, work your network, and apply for jobs.  Sometimes we take the ostrich approach, like Hubby and I did with the fence, hoping that our resumes remain strong even if we fail to update them.

Problem with that approach – for either our fence or a job search – is that there comes a critical point where we simply must act.  A job search is not something you want to do under pressure if you can avoid it. Don’t neglect your job search skills until you’re desperate.  Keep an updated resume and stay in touch with your network.

Our new fence is great.  Now I’m working on my resume, just in case.

The Art of the Sale

by -

used car salesman

It’s important to know your strengths; what you’re most skilled at.  For example, a career in sales would be a huge mistake for me.  While I’ve worked in retail most of my life, my focus has been corporate office stuff.

It could be residual scars left from having to sell fruitcakes for a school club – whose brilliant idea was that?  The first year was not so bad, as most neighbors politely purchased one to send to a distant relative.  But year two and three?  The neighbors saw me coming and immediately shut the blinds so I would think they were out. Honestly, no one really eats fruitcake anyway, so one is good for a lifetime.

Or maybe my lack of selling skills stem from the fact that I don’t like to be sold on anything.  If I feel the least bit of pressure from a sales associate, I will walk the other way no matter how great the item is. Even if it’s the last pair of this season’s trendiest sandals – I’m serious!

Hubby has watched when a sales associate has tried to trap me, especially those with fake sincerity. It’s not pretty.  My sarcasm and snarky comments can leave even the toughest salesperson wishing they had not approached me.  The commission isn’t worth it.

As we speak, there’s a car salesman who wishes he never met me – lost the sale of a new car due to over-selling.   In an attempt to pressure me into purchasing the car, he told me, “This is the ONLY car in this limited edition color in the state”.  “Really?” I said to him.  “I just drove the same make and model, in the limited edition color, at your competitor across town.”  He was silent as I walked out saying, “You should expect your customers to be smart, not gullible”.

Of course there is a bit of selling to every job and I’ve learned ways to approach others when I want to pitch an idea to them.  Usually a softer intro is best, like “I wanted to talk to you about an opportunity/idea; let’s see if it’s something we can work on”.

Working for big brands, I’ve been on the receiving end of more sales calls than I can remember. Seems like everyone on the planet has a great idea/product/project that would be PERFECT for my company.  Major brands are in the driver’s seat in these situations, as others are eager to work with them.

Just had a call from someone wanting to sell me on an idea for one of my clients who happens to be a big brand.  I’ve never been so offended in my life.  First, this sales person would hardly let me get a word in edge-wise.  Then he refused to provide key information about the opportunity – a reasonable request in order to make a decision – wanting me to pitch him on why my company should be considered.

Excuse me, didn’t you call me? 

It took every ounce of strength to remain professional.  Sarcastic, snarky me was just begging to let him have it.  My colleagues, who could hear my side of the conversation, congratulated me for a great job maintaining a professional demeanor.

Despite my negativity towards sales, there’s one time when I do have to bring my A-game, and that’s during an interview.  Even my resume has to be a selling tool to get my foot in the door.  Once I secure an interview, I have to tell them why I am a better choice than all the other equally-qualified candidates out there.

It’s difficult for many of us to sell ourselves and our accomplishments, yet that’s exactly what we have to do when we interview for a job.  In this cut-throat employment environment, we have to stand tall, speak confidently and show them we are worth their investment to hire us.

Just don’t offer them a fruitcake.  Trust me on this one.

Truth in Interviewing

by -

I’m not good at lying.  OK, I can do the innocuous “of course that dress looks great on you!” But when it comes to serious lying, that’s definitely not my forte. I wear my heart on my sleeve – and sometimes my emotions live there too.  Like an open book, you can pretty much tell what I’m feeling at any given time.
Most of the time, this is a good thing.  People know that they can trust my word.  Sometimes it’s not what they want to hear. But they know I’m telling the truth. 
This “skill” of mine is not always effective.  For example, I would be a terrible contestant on “Survivor” – and my inability to effectively lie is only one issue.  First, I would be voted off right away simply because I would want to spend the first few days building an adequate shelter instead of hanging out on the beach like it was a vacation.  If there was a lack of organization, I would step in and try to lead the tribe, another no-no if you want to stay in the game. Not to mention the whole issue of living outside. Yuck.  But the ability to weave and maintain an intricate web of lies with a straight face would lead to my demise. I must not be smart enough to keep all the stories straight.
When you think about it, isn’t interviewing for a job similar to lying?  I can hear you disagreeing with me.  “Of course not!”, “I would never lie to get a job”, “It’s more like acting, but that’s not lying, per se”.  Okay, call it what you want, but face it – there are times during an interview when we absolutely have to stretch the truth.  We have to lie.
This is especially true when you’re in lay-off land, searching for your next opportunity.  At least it seems that way since we don’t want to turn any chance down. Each interview could be a ticket to employment.  So how is someone like me, little miss “hard to keep a straight face”, supposed to get through the interview process?  I can be knocked on my side with the very first question, “Tell me why you want to work here?” Even just writing that question causes me to go all “deer-in-the-headlights”.
While I don’t have a magic potion to make interviewing easy, I do have a little trick I learned while working in PR.  In preparing for possible media calls and interviews, we prepared a “Q&A Document” – sort of a script.  It’s actually quite brilliant.  The goal was to write down all the possible questions that a reporter might ask the company. Even off-the-wall questions were OK.  Then we had to prepare written answers to each question.  At the top of the document we listed our talking points, those two or three key messages we wanted to tell about our company in relation to the story.
I’ve adapted this same technique to prepare for job interviews.  It’s a great way to collect my thoughts before the interview and develop solid, truthful answers.  Once I developed the first set of Q&A, I’ve only had to tweak it for different interviews.  I especially like the reminder of my key messages, listed at the top.
The best reason to use this tactic is that it helps me determine exactly how far I’m willing to stretch the truth and it allows me to become comfortable with my answers.  If I’m not comfortable with these answers at home, I’m certainly not going to do well during an interview. 
For example, am I always willing to relocate for a job?  Probably not.  Yet my answer needs to leave room for the possibility without making promises that I can’t keep, i.e. “I would consider relocating”. After all, I don’t want to be eliminated before the interview starts.  Once the discussions begin I may determine that the opportunity is indeed worth a move.  
It’s a fine line to walk between full-disclosure and flat-out lying, yet one that we have to walk as we pursue new opportunities.  We just have to be comfortable with our answers. 
Just for fun, I thought I’d share what I would love to say during some interviews, but the fact that I want to be hired prohibits using these answers.
Fun Interview Answers
Q. Why do you want to work here?
A. Honestly, I have no idea except that my friend told me you were hiring and I heard you have a good vacation plan.  By the way, how soon can I take my first vacation?  Did I mention that I plan to work here a few months, then take off to “find myself” as I back-pack through Europe?
Q. Tell me about yourself.
A. Aside from being well-educated, I’m cute and have an amazing sense of humor.  I’m sort of doing this career-thing until I decide what I really want to do with my life. Oh, and I enjoy critiquing people’s fashion choices.  By the way, that’s a nice tie – is it a clip-on?
Q. Where do you see yourself in five years?
A. I was kind of hoping we wouldn’t have to discuss this right away since it’s a bit awkward, but I want your job.  Preferably sooner than five years; maybe within twelve months. Actually, what are your plans?  Any idea when you might move on to your next job?
Q. Our corporate offices are out of state. Are you willing to relocate?
A. Oohh – didn’t see that coming.  Depends; what state are we talking about?  I’m willing to move to a ski-resort town, or possibly Hawaii.  But that also depends on how much additional money you’ll pay me.
Q. Let’s talk salary – can you tell me where you were compensation-wise at your last job?
A. I can tell you, but I’m not going to.  Duh!  Haven’t you heard the phrase, “he who talks money first loses”?  Besides, from the looks of this old furniture in your office, I’m pretty sure you can’t afford me.
Q. Thanks for coming in; we’ll get back to you in about a week. Do you have any questions for me?
A. What kind of gym membership do you offer?  How’s the food in the cafeteria? I smelled something coming in and it was less than pleasant.  And thanks for humoring me by saying you’ll call me back. Even though I know better.